Novaletti Factor

Chapter 15~

Not So Perfect Novaletti 

Elise~ 

Nearly one week later. 

When Micah had said he needed some time, I didn't think that meant days. Literal days passed without a call or a text from him. I could have just went to his house and used the new code to get in and demand him to get over himself-but I didn't. I spent those days distracting myself with work and doing DIY's around the house. They weren't great distractions either. I was about to drive myself to insanity. 

"...Are you going to tell me what happened? I don't like you like this." I'd also spent a better part of those days at my moms, drinking tea and hanging out with her in the sun room. It was actually fucking depressing. 

I forced my leg to stop bouncing and looked up at her where she was standing at the open screen door with a cigarette between her fingers and a glass of wine in the other hand. The glass she had poured for me minutes ago was empty on the table beside my phone that had been quiet for days. "Nothing happened, Mom. Why are you smoking? Does Dad know? If not, he's going to freak..." 

My mother let out a lung full of smoke before she looked down at the cigarette in her hand and shrugged. "I don't know. I'm bored, I guess. I'm really glad to be here, closer to you and Sebastian, but it's boring. I like adventure. You know that." Again, she shrugged before tossing the thing out of the opened door and coming back to the table to sit down with her wine. 

If she was thinking about going back on the road I was going to be upset. If she actually did it, I was going to have a fit. She was bored, but my father was loving it here. "You wouldn't be so bored if you got out of the house some more. There's lots to do here. Maybe we should make plans to take some pictures. When was the last time you and dad took pictures together?"

"A very long time. That sounds nice. I would love that, Sweety." Just then my mothers eyes narrowed on me and she crossed her arms, glass forgotten about beside mine. "Now, are you going to tell me what's going on with you and Micah? You haven't so much as said his name in days, it seems." 

That's because I hadn't. By that look she was giving me I could tell she wasn't going to give up until I gave up something. A week ago I might have been annoyed by her badgering but I didn't mind. Sure, hanging out with her was a little depressing, but I had just kept coming back. I loved Gabby but I enjoyed talking to someone else. "We had a fight...kind of." Had it been a fight? 

That got me a confused look. "Kind of?" 

"I talked to him and told him I wasn't ready to move in. He seemed understanding..." Understanding with a side of cold and withdrawn. "He said he needed some time. I think it upset him that I ignored him instead of telling him how I felt about his invitation." You think? "...but he also changed the code to his house-sure, he gave me the new code but only after I couldn't get in." That had my moms brow rising in question and I realized I was rambling. "I don't know, it just didn't feel good..." 

"That doesn't sound good, Elise." 

"He just...it's complicated, Mom." There was no way I was going to try and explain Micah to her. 

"That doesn't sound complicated, that sounds, what's the word...toxic." 

"Mom..." I had absolutely no interest in the conversation going that way so that one word was a warning before I got irritated.